Fairy Tail - Twilight Empire

Chapter 96 - Dreamers

Natsu was pushed far away from the Gray and Juvia's battles. He pushed himself off the ground, wiping away some blood, dirt, and sweat off his forehead. Happy swooped in and landed on his shoulder.

"That last attack was insane!" Happy exclaimed.

"Yeah," Natsu said. "This one packs a punch. He ain't a slouch like that other one."

"The flute?"

"Yeah. I guess I can see how Gray's mentor was forced to do that Iced Shell thing now." Natsu brushed himself off. "Doesn't mean the thing's invincible, though. Just means we're not hitting it hard enough."

Deliora loomed like a mountain over the two of them. Its horns pierced some low-hanging clouds. Some of its armor already looked cracked in places, even though its entire body appeared to be covered in some sort of tough, impenetrable casing.

A bit of lightning crackled around Natsu.

"And he ain't as tough as Larcade. If I'm gonna beat him, I have to get through this guy."

"You think if Juvia is able to kill Keyes, then it'll get rid of him? He did raise the demon from the dead, maybe their magic is connected."

"No idea," Natsu said. "And right now, it doesn't matter. I'm keeping this guy off Gray and Juvia's back. That's what I'll keep doing until it goes down, and then I'll help them out! Ready, Happy?"

"Aye, sir!"

"Great. Let's go!"

Happy clutched Natsu's back and took off. The distance between Natsu and Deliora was still pretty long, but Happy was able to get across in seconds, giving Natsu the time to power all the way into his Lightning Fire Dragon Mode.

"Lightning Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"

The strike landed under Deliora's jaw, who was winding up a long swing of his own. Deliora's head snapped back.

"Lightning Fire Dragon Roar!"

The blast struck Deliora and knocked him to the ground. Natsu directed Happy to continue pursuing, but the two pulled up as Deliora launched another powerful beam from its mouth that would have obliterated the two of them.

Happy wound around as Natsu summoned lightning in one hand, fire in the other.

"Lightning Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"

Happy let Natsu go as he flipped over and then struck down at Deliora, who brought up its titanic fist in an attempt to block the attack, but the strike was so strong that Deliora wound up smacking its face with the back of its hand as an explosion of lightning and fire consumed it. Natsu leaped up. Happy caught him in mid-air, but Deliora's other fist clipped the two as he swung at them.

Natsu and Happy spiraled, but Happy, straining, corrected their course. Deliora rolled and picked himself up, punching the ground, then grabbing two massive chunks of dirt that it managed to create.

With simple heaves, it hurled the masses at Happy and Natsu. Happy dove through them, winding around, as Natsu fired up his fists again. Deliora, seemingly, did the same, summoning great swaths of purple power into its damaged hand.

Natsu and Deliora collided, the blow breaking the ground beneath them. Natsu's body thankfully blocked the blow, allowing Happy to continue holding Natsu up.

"Let go, quick!"

"What?"

Natsu yanked himself free and rolled onto Deliora's arm, sprinting up the side of the giant thing's side. It snarled and bit down on its own arm, giving Natsu a free shot at its face, shattering one of Deliora's eyes.